Putin signals that Russia will continue current support for Syria

ST PETERSBURG - Reuters

Russia?'s President Vladimir Putin gestures during a press conference at the end of the G-20 summit on Sept. 6 in Saint Petersburg. AFP photo

President Vladimir Putin made clear on Sept. 6 that Russia did not want to be sucked into a war over Syria, signalling that Moscow would maintain current levels of support to Damascus in the case of foreign military intervention.

Asked at the end of a Group of Twenty summit whether Russia would help Syria in such circumstances, Putin made no reference to defending the Middle Eastern nation or increasing military assistance.

"Will we help Syria? We will. We are helping them now. We supply weapons, we cooperate in the economic sphere, and I hope we will cooperate more in the humanitarian sphere ... to provide help for those people - civilians - who are in a difficult situation today," Putin said.

He echoed comments by other Russian officials who have said Moscow will not allow itself to be drawn into the conflict.